From Santa’s Workshop to Day Care Center, MHT Loans Bridge the Gap

by Anne Raines, Capital Grants and Loans Administrator

Franklin Hall

In tiny, charming Chesapeake City, where town leaders and residents cherish their history as the birthplace of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal, Franklin Hall is a significant place. Home to Santa’s workshop in December and boutiques throughout the year, the hall has a storied past, starting as Chick’s Tavern in the 1700s then as a Masonic Hall. When it needed renovation, the nonprofit Chesapeake City District Civic Association turned to the Maryland Historical Trust for help.